Greetings,
Welcome back to Matters of Style, a periodic newsletter from To a T Interiors. This issue contains the first in a series of articles based on my recent experiences downsizing to a smaller home and updating a dated home. Read below for hints and tips on getting organized to downsize and how we prioritized updates in our 17 year old "new" home. Happy Decorating! |
Organizing to Downsize
| If you are contemplating moving to a smaller home in the next several years, it's not too early to start the process of downsizing your possessions. You may not like this advice but I learned it when moving from Maryland to North Carolina late in 2012. Upon making the decision that Wilmington was our destination, we immediately started sorting through closets and storage areas knowing we wanted to downsize. I've always prided myself on being organized but did not expect how much "stuff" we would ultimately need/want to jettison after living in our 5 bedroom plus basement home for 13 years. Following are some tips I learned and employed from organizing to downsize:
The first pass is relatively easy as long as you have an idea of the size of your desired smaller home and some idea of the kinds of activities you'll enjoy in your new location. It can be a time-consuming process, especially so if you don't see eye-to-eye as a couple on what to keep/toss. Be sure to pace yourself and divvy the work into manageable chunks (e.g., one room or major storage area at a time).
It's ideal to designate areas to house items that you've made decisions on. We used the garage for trash/recycling and the basement for donations and items we wanted to sell. With designated areas, its easy to see when you have critical mass for a run to the dump or call to a charity for pick-up. 
Lots of charities do scheduled pick-ups so you should get on their calendar once you start the process. Most charities require you to put the items outside your door but some will come in and move large furniture items. It makes it so much easier to give away items that still have useful lives knowing that someone less fortunate can use and enjoy them. Don't forget to take pictures, make a list of donated items and get a receipt for tax purposes.
Your first pass will help get your home ready to sell. Closets and storage areas should be neat and not overflowing for showing the house. Start collecting/
keeping boxes of various sizes early. You'll need more than you think and will use some for packing items to donate, sell or store things that you want to keep. It's better to have some boxes placed in a storage area than have prospective buyers see overstuffed closets.
Be sure the items you designate for sale are worth it. It takes time to photograph, price, list and manage the process through eBay or Craig's List. We briefly contemplated an estate sale but found we did not have enough high value items to make it worthwhile. That said it can be hard to simply give away valuable furniture, collectibles and art. We had good success selling some unneeded furniture to the buyers of our MD home. We also found new homes for unneeded but still perfectly good furnishings with friends and family members who live in the DC area. It's great to see them in use whenever we visit.
Plan to do a second pass before you start packing and weigh if its worth bringing a particular item with you, especially if it's heavy/bulky and you don't know if you'll have storage for it. If challenged, do a keep one, toss (or give away) one approach.
 Take pictures of sentimental items that you know you won't be using/needing and then let them go. For example, I had this photo taken with a portrait of our family dog from when I was a teenager. I knew it would never hang in our new house so it went in the donate pile but the photo keeps the memories alive.  Another suggestion for items of sentimental value is to use them in a new way. I had my Mother's mink stole just hanging in a closet and doubted I'd ever have occasion to wear it. I'd seen them made into stuffed animals and after a quick web search, found a seamstress who specializes in them. Here is a photo of my great-niece with her new mink bunny last Christmas.
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As always, if you need help making your home the inviting, comfortable space you envision, call To a T Interiors. We can help you select the perfect paint color, find solutions to corral the clutter that accumulates for busy families or redesign your living spaces to enhance the beauty and function for the entire family.
Susan
To a T Interiors 301-467-3563
www.toatinteriors.com
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Q & A Corner
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Q. I'm posing this question to readers: have you heard of toe-kick drawers?
A.
I recently came across this article in Houzz.
I had never heard of this creative solution to install low-lying drawers to house step stools, pet food bowls, platters, emergency supplies etc, etc. It's a terrific storage option for this typically unused space.
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